1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved chemical dispensing apparatus and in particular to a refillable dispensing apparatus for the chemical treatment of a fluid, a means for wall mounting the apparatus, a means for securing the apparatus, a means for flushing the apparatus, and a refilling means.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Many commercial and residential water supplies suffer from objectionable conditions. Often, treatment measures are implemented with the addition of chemical treatments to the water supply, including for example phosphate or silicate compounds. In order to provide effective treatment and to prevent other problems from occurring, it may be necessary to carefully meter the amount of chemical treatment agent to a given quantity of supplied water.
Systems for the chemical treatment of a liquid are known. U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,884 discloses a dispenser device including a dispenser head and threaded canister. A chemical container assembly disposed within the canister includes a support column, which telescopically receives a chemical container. The chemical container includes inlet and outlet holes to allow a flow through the container to come into contact and subsequently dissolve chemical treatment material disposed within the container. The support column engages the dispenser head to aid in defining the separation distance between the dispenser head and the outlet hole of the chemical container.
Other configurations are also known. A device for introducing substances into water as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,327 is known. The device comprises a water supply element having a throughgoing passage, one end connectable with a water source and another end connectable with a water discharge element so that water passes from the water source through the throughgoing passage to the water discharge element. It also comprises a substance supply element having one end connectable with a substance containing element and another end turnably connectable with the water supply element in an open position in which a communication is established between an interior of the substance supply element and the water supply element for supply of a substance from the container through the substance supply element into the water supply element, and a closed position in which the communication is interrupted so that the substance is no longer supplied from the substance supply element into the water supply element.
A third type of known apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,448. This citation teaches an apparatus for dispensing a measured amount of a chemical into a fluid piping system comprising a cap having fluid entrance and exit ports between which is a tubular flow conduit. The tubular flow conduit has a first passageway therein to divert a portion of the fluid passing through the system into a canister attached to the cap. A container is disposed within the canister containing a solid chemical, which is partially dissolved by fluid introduced into the container. A portion of the dissolved chemical passes out through a second passageway in the tubular flow conduit located downstream from the first fluid passageway and is reintroduced into the fluid system.
A fourth type of known apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,870. The citation teaches an apparatus for forming a saturated chemical solution comprising a container connected into an unsaturated liquid supply system so as to receive bypass liquid therefrom, said container having therein a supply of dry chemical having an exposed upper surface; a manifold head forming the top closure of said container and having a removable cap, inlet and outlet ports therein communicating with the interior of said container; means for supplying unsaturated bypass liquid to said inlet port; a tube connected to said inlet port to receive said bypass liquid therefrom, said tube extending downwardly from said inlet port and vertically through the body of dry chemical within said container and terminating adjacent the bottom portion of said container; said tube having a plurality of vertically spaced, downward slanted perforations extending over the greater portion of the length thereof, the perforations above the exposed upper surface of the dry chemical within said container adapted to spray said unsaturated bypass liquid in a wide arch over a substantial portion of said exposed upper surface of said dry chemical to permit intimate contact between said liquid and said exposed upper surface to form a saturated solution, successive ones of said perforations being uncovered by the dissolution of the dry chemical at the exposed upper surface thereof as said bypass liquid is sprayed thereon so that said dissolution of said dry chemical at the exposed upper surface thereof is effected regardless of the level of said dry chemical in said container, following which said saturated bypass liquid passes out to said liquid supply system through said outlet port.
The abovementioned dispenser designs all have their shortcomings. The present invention is designed to be easier to install, easier to service, more versatile in application (able to dispense solid, granular, powdered and liquid chemicals), and lends itself to mail-order servicing. The refillable aspect is particularly important for a reduction in cost to the consumer.